Marcus Coloma Breaks Silence On General Hospital Exit

Nikolas Cassadine has long been considered the "good Cassadine," even though he's made questionable choices over the years. Originally portrayed by Tyler Christopher, the part was recast with Marcus Coloma taking on the mantle of the character who is a prince descended from Russian nobility. Coloma had previously been in such shows as "Make It or Break It," and "Major Crimes," as well as the films "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2," and "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta!" according to IMDb.

Coloma was interviewed on co-star Maurice Benard's YouTube series, "State of Mind," and explained that when he first got the part of Nikolas in 2019, he was concerned that every plot element was intended to kill him off. Nikolas has been going strong since then, continually making bad choices. Per Soaps She Knows, when Nikolas slept with his son's girlfriend, Esme Prince (Avery Pohl), not only was it a bad choice, but the evil woman also showed up at his house announcing she was pregnant. As befit a prince, Nikolas captured Esme and locked her in one of the towers of his mansion/castle called Wyndemere (via Celeb Dirty Laundry). Coloma got so familiar with his castmates that he's even made hilarious Instagram videos with Benard and their other co-star, Kin Shriner (Scotty Baldwin).

However, Coloma's time as Nikolas has come to an end and he spoke directly to his fans about the situation.

"General Hospital" star Marcus Coloma posted a bittersweet video on Instagram in which he addressed his exit from the show. The video was set to the tune of Vince Guaraldi's classic instrumental piece, "Christmas Time is Here," with this caption telling his fans: "What a ride, thank you for all of the amazing comments and messages. You are the best." 

In the video, Coloma reiterates the situation, stating, "Marcus Coloma will no longer be playing Nikolas Cassadine." He continued saying, "It's hard to even say, I get so sad when I think about it." Unsure of what he could legally disclose, Coloma continued with, "What an incredible ride. There's such a family feel at General Hospital, which I felt so blessed to be a part of ... The fans are the best fans in the entire world." He thanked fans for their love and wished everyone happy holidays. Coloma also stated that co-star Maurice Benard was going to change his phone number, to which the actor said, "But I know where he lives. I know where Kin [Shriner, Scotty Baldwin] lives. We're still gonna film things. Much love."

Co-star and close friend, Maurice Benard, posted a picture of the two on Twitter, writing: "I've had many close, friends leave General Hospital. Of course it's always sad, and sometimes confusing, I believe when you're talented it's always a blessing in disguise."